“Your Grace.”

Edwick, who had been gazing out the window, sensed a presence behind him quite suddenly. Yet, as if he had been expecting it, he showed no signs of surprise.

“Yes, you arrived earlier than I thought.”

“Yes, there wasn’t much I could find out.”

Layton, who had approached close to Edwick, bowed his head as if ashamed. Edwick didn’t care. He hadn’t given the instruction with much expectation anyway.

“So, is the child still staying in the territory of the Count?”

“…No. The local residents also seemed to know little about Kalifran’s whereabouts.”

Upon hearing Layton’s words, Edwick slightly closed his eyes. A heavy breath filled up to his throat.

“That child’s father was a notorious drunkard in the territory. He drank almost every day and was violent toward the child during those times.”

“……”

“Even when sober, he never properly took care of the child. The child was always bruised, appeared to be malnourished, and so the local residents took turns caring for him.”

“Sigh……”

Edwick’s pent-up breath heavily exhaled. The more he heard from Layton, the more vividly he could picture the scruffy boy who had carried Evelia.

The child who looked no different than the imperial crown prince.

With a face full of despair, Edwick slightly closed his eyes. Above the pitch-black view, a disturbing scene from more than ten years ago flashed.

It was the day the Empress gave birth to the crown prince after a long labor. As Edwick turned his steps away after escorting the anxious Emperor to the Empress’s palace, he clearly saw it.

Duke Garnet, secretly conversing with a suspicious person covered head to toe in black cloth.

“What’s the situation?”

“He successfully escaped from the palace.”

“Good, it needs to be cleanly eliminated without any complications.”

“I’ve warned him firmly, so unless some unexpected variables come into play, there should be no mistakes.”

“Even if variables do come into play, it’s the same. The job cannot go awry for any reason. It must conclude cleanly, understand?”

“Worry not, I’ll go check it out myself.”

The masked man bowed respectfully to the Duke, promising a sure finish. Only then did the Duke turn away, his expression relieved.

Edwick quickly hid his body. Encountering the Duke at this point would only lead to complications.
A large tree suitable for hiding appeared not far away. Edwick hurriedly started walking towards it when the duke’s voice suddenly grabbed his ankles again.

[Ah, and you need to keep your mouth shut properly.] [Is there a condition?] [Of course, you and all your relatives involved in this matter must completely erase your memory of the twins you saw today.] [I will keep that in mind.]

Twins. The moment he heard the word, it felt as if Edwick’s whole body froze like a block of ice. His mind went blank, and it felt like he had been struck on the back of his head with something heavy.

Yet, he could clearly hear the duke’s footsteps. Barely collecting his wits, Edwick quickly hid behind the tree.

The duke walked by without any hesitation in his steps. Fortunately, it seemed he had not noticed Edwick’s presence.

Only then did Edwick, his tension relieved, slump down on the spot. Though bothered by the masked man he had faced off against earlier, that man too had silently disappeared.

“Hoo.”

Recalling the day’s events drained Edwick of his energy. Moreover, his legs trembled automatically under the weight of a throbbing headache.

In a moment of dizziness, he leaned against the window frame and asked Layton once again.

“Is that all you have to convey?”

“There is one more thing.”

“Speak.”

“It is said that Dewit, the father of Caliphran, had a saying he habitually mentioned.”

“What is it?”

Edwick asked without hesitation. Yet his hand, which leaned on the window frame, was shaking precariously.

After watching him for a long while, Layton moved his lips along with a heavy sigh.

“He said the downfall of the family was all because of that child… that they got stuck with an unlucky kid while trying to make a few bucks.”

Hearing Layton’s follow-up, Edwick collapsed as if crumbling on the spot. Layton seemed to be waiting to support him, but Edwick stubbornly dodged the hand and clenched his eyes shut.

It was the worst-case scenario he had been hoping would not happen.

The next day at noon.

Evelia stood by the window frame, exhaling a deep sigh with a sour expression.

“Ha, why does it have to be like this?”

Her eyes caught the reflection of a familiar hamster. She clearly knew that this hamster was no ordinary hamster but Felix, yet she couldn’t understand why he kept grooming himself with his short legs, acting cute.
“Annoying, aren’t you? If you’ve come to see me for a reason, make it quick.”

Evelia spoke curtly, turning her back on him. Felix then let out a frustrated groan and revealed himself.

“Don’t you think you’re making it obvious that you’re not pleased to see me?”

He grumbled petulantly.

“I’m not pleased. What will you do if His Highness comes by?”